Love Hurts
by Jet Set Yoyo
Summary: Ryou has always been abused by his Yami. He's drawn closer and closer to committing suicide but will he learn Bakura's biggest secret before he crosses the line of no return. Or will Bakura live to regret keeping his mouth shut. Just a rewrite.
1. Chapter 1

Love Hurts

By Jet Set Yoyo

Disclaimer: I do NOT own yu-gi-oh If I did I wouldn't be writing fics on the internet.

("Talking", _Thinking_, 'flashbacks', Bakura's mind link, _'Ryou's mind link'_)

Alright so I'm still getting requests to change/update this story so while I'm sitting her bored in the library I spewed a retype of the first chapter. If I get more time, I'll do the second. I'm planning to make this like Gift From Above and just shorten my overall idea. I've realized I absolutely cannot do long stories, I don't have to attention span. Thanks for putting up with me. Hope you enjoy.

* * *

_Am I still alive...? I must be, I'm talking to myself._ Ryou said in his mind. He felt as if everything in the world was fine and dandy, a warm floating feeling taking over his body. It was too good to be true. Suddenly a loud voice came from all around him.

"Wake up! Wake up you lazy little brat! Or have you not learned your lesson yet?" Bakura demanded angrily, staring down at the sleeping boy.

_Oh yeah, Bakura's beating me again. I must've fallen and gotten knocked out. I wish I was dead…_

Ryou opened his eyes and found his Yami Bakura, looking down at him rather angrily. Ryou slowly stumbled to his feet recalling the events of the night before and the reason he was once again asleep on the kitchen floor.

"That's better. Until you act like one I will not treat you like a normal human-being." Bakura sneered shoving the boy to his feet because he was taking far too long.

"Yes master..." Ryou responded quietly not daring to look the older teen in the face, he'd learned it was better not to; it generally led to more beatings.

"Get to school!"

There was always a sadistic smile plastered on the older teens face. Sometimes it scared him sometimes it didn't and it didn't make any sense to him whatsoever but then again, nothing made much sense to him anymore. Still a bit groggy and injured Ryou picked up his backpack and fell back to the floor under its weight; which wasn't a whole lot to begin with. Bakura laughed at the boy's misfortune then went over to him and hauled him to his feet roughly. As he lifted his Hikari he slid a small pill into the smaller boys' mouth and shoved him out the door.

_Did he just drug me? What was that a pain killer? Why would he be that nice? I'm losing my mind to this psycho. I just wish he'd kill me already._ He wrinkled his nose staring into space clearly puzzled to any passerby's but was soon driven back to reality as his mind registered the telephone pole less than 2 feet away from his face. _Oops, silly me. I said dead not injured further._

It was a never ending cycle to him; wake up, eat, avoid Bakura's wrath if he was awake, walk to school, be beaten up by bullies, go home and do homework then be beaten by Bakura until he was knocked unconscious. On the way from the apartment to the school he stopped over a bridge and stared into the water. Normally he'd be a bit more prudent in getting to school on time but as the years wore on he no longer had it in him to be the good student he used to be. Besides, no one really cared much. He was the invisible person in the class, to both students and teachers until someone needed a punching bag or someone to do their homework for them. It wasn't like him to say no to them either, he'd be beaten further.

_I wonder if I'd die if I jumped from here? Probably not, it can't be higher than twenty feet or so. _He glanced at his watch and realized he was going to be late, again. Without a clue as to why he was even bothering he ran through the morning crowds and busy roads full of men and women off to work and made it into his classroom just before the late bell rang. The day went as it normally would all the classes went well he was ignored by every single living soul in the room, and even if there was a dead one he figured it'd probably avoid him too. He even received the usual beating from the bullies after school though it wasn't as bad as it normally was. Surprisingly no one had homework for him to do, so at least that was a plus. He took his time in getting home, not really looking forward to seeing or dealing with Bakura tonight. He'd receive his beatings anyway but at least he could postpone it as much as possible. _Maybe I can stop going home? …yeah and freeze or starve to death anyway. Well maybe that wouldn't be so bad._ Of course Bakura was waiting for him when he got home.

"Homework?" Bakura questioned as soon as Ryou stepped in the door.

"No I finished it all at school during study." Bakura smirked as he stared at him.

_Peh, the weakling. How annoying he is...why did I have to be stuck with such an annoying child? Staring at me with those innocent eyes as if I'm going to be kind to him. _Bakura nearly gagged himself at the thought but another much quieter voice in the back of his mind was whispering something different. He swatted away the quiet voice mentally and realized the brat was trying to speak to him.

"Y...Yes what is it Master?" Ryou asked quietly noticing the awkward stare coming from his Yami.

"Nothing. Get out of my sight or I'll-" Bakura's smile faded as he raised his fist causing Ryou to cower immediately and take a few steps backwards emitting a whimper.

"No no please I'm leaving I'm leaving." Fear filled the boy's innocent chocolate eyes as they widened. The door slammed upstairs and a slight sobbing noise could be heard. He shook his head in disgust and called up to Ryou.

"I'm going out now stay in the house Ryou." Bakura heard the sobbing stop briefly.

"Al-Alright I won't go anywhere." The sobbing continued after Ryou heard the front door slam then he realized that he had used his name, not a stupid nickname, not an insult, his name. He smiled a bit, tears still running down his face drenching his pillow. _Why does he hate me so...? I never did anything to him. Why can't he appreciate me like the Pharaoh appreciates Yuugi... it's not fair! _A loud knock came from the front door. Sniffled he dried his tears on his uniform he was still wearing before hurrying to answer it thinking Bakura had left his key behind again.

"W...Who is it?" He called out meekly.

"Ryou? It's Yuugi can I come in please? I was hoping we could hang out for a bit if you're not busy?" Yuugi's voice was cheerful as always. It made him sick from time to time. How could anyone possibly be so damn happy? Like he had no a care in the world.

"I uh… I'm not feeling well. I'll see you in school."

_'Bakura? Bakura are you there? I wanted to ask you something...'_

What is it you annoying pest? Don't you know not to bother me while I'm out?

_'Well umm... Yuugi came by, can I go hang out with him?'_

No not when I'm not there. You cannot be trusted yet.

He sighed and went to the refrigerator to grab a snack after he heard Yuugi leave. Munching on an apple and drinking some soda his mind started to wander until he heard a loud bang near the front door. He knew right away it was Bakura and Marik. His eyes widened and immediately he rose and attempted to flee towards his room but instead slipped on a rug and crashed to the floor tipping over a glass left nearby by Bakura. It hit Ryou in the head and shattered leaving a large wound as the pieces settled to the floor as well as a sprained ankle from slipping. He was determined not to be caught between Marik and Bakura's games, especially if either were drunk; he used every ounce of strength he had to limp all the way back to his room. All he could do was lay quietly on his bed hoping Bakura forgot he existed and went straight to sleep after Marik left. Voices floated up from the kitchen and footsteps echoed in his head from the hallway, coming closer and closer. He just wished everything would go away, everyone would just leave him alone to die. He was too tired from blood loss to be afraid this time he just stayed still waiting for what was to come would pass. A knock came from the door which shocked Ryou into opening his eyes; Bakura never knocked. Who was it? Suddenly the door opened slowly and Ryou really didn't want to find out who it was.

"Ryou? I heard some glass break are you alright?" A timid voice called from the doorframe. It was Malik. Ryou sat immediately and smiled sweetly at him. He was probably the only person to know what he was going through, after all Marik was the same way with Malik as Bakura was towards him. "Well I guess you're alright then huh? Oh hey! You head is bleeding let me fix that up for you."

Ryou laughed and pulled away when Malik touched his head.

"Hmm? What's so funny?"

"It tickles!" Ryou giggled and let Malik continue cleaning the dried blood from his now matted hair.

"You really should take a shower to get the rest of this out... before it stays there forever."

"It can do that?"

"I dunno just go take a warm shower it'll make you feel better."

Ryou gathered some clothes to change into and headed to the bathroom. Malik heard the water start to run he smirked and returned to the kitchen where Bakura was sitting drinking a beer.

"The idiot really thought I was that good-for-nothing Hikari of mine. You're not going to beat him today Bakura?" Marik chuckled sitting beside his friend.

"Nah... he's been through enough I'll let him rest for now."

"You're going soft Bakura. You like him don't you? You're falling for a pathetic weakling!? That's low Bakura. Come on let's have some fun with him."

"I am not falling for the weakling I just don't want to kill him... yet."

The shower stopped and Ryou could be heard from the kitchen when he yelled "Whoa!" then giggled. Bakura shook his head and continued drinking his beer. Marik yelled to Ryou in a mock sweet voice, still pretending to be Malik, "I have to go now are you going to be okay Ryou?"

"Yeah I'll be fine Malik, go ahead."

Ryou still hadn't realized Bakura was home. He returned to his room and put on some music. Bakura sighed, irritated with Marik, and stood up heading towards Ryou's room. He opened the door quietly and peered in curious as to what the little brat could possibly be up to while he believed Bakura was out. Surprised to find Ryou was sitting at his desk doodling and small picture while listening to his CD player, Bakura smiled without realizing he did so. Ryou looked up and saw Bakura looking in at him and froze completely. Fear filled his brown eyes and uncontrollable tears came with it, before Bakura could move he managed to choke out a small request through his tears.

"Please don't hit me, not today please," He honestly had no idea what to expect, "Please...?"

Bakura didn't say a word he just left the room and went back downstairs. It took a while for Ryou to calm himself down and stop thinking Bakura would change his mind and come back in to hurt him. Eventually he huddled into a ball on his bed drifted slowly to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Love Hurts

By Jet Set Yoyo

Disclaimer: I do NOT own yu-gi-oh If I did I wouldn't be writing fics on the internet.

("Talking", _Thinking_, 'flashbacks', _'Mind link's'_)

Well since I'm at it I may as well retype the second chapter too. I was going to finish Diary Of A Rudie before I got into changing/updating anything else but I couldn't ignore all the requests I had to fix up and write more of this story. So alas I hope I don't deviate from writing the last two chapters of DOAR but hmmm I suppose we'll see. Glad people still enjoy this piece of junk. xD

It was still dark out when Ryou awoke abruptly from a nightmare. He groaned as he rolled over to look at his clock. Bakura definitely wasn't awake yet.

_Good. Maybe I can have a decent breakfast and a shower today._ Ryou climbed out of his bed and slipped into his normal wardrobe; a mint colored button up shirt with a long sleeve blue and white shirt underneath and white slacks. Bakura was sleeping soundly on the couch as he noisily tried to tiptoe past the sleeping demon. Of course who could possibly tiptoe with a limp? _A pop tart will be good enough I'm not that hungry anyway. _Munching on the pop tart he nabbed from the cabinet he tried to tiptoe past Bakura again. As he went Bakura stirred a bit and startled the young Hikari before he let out a relieved giggle _Why do I stay with him. He's so mean to me… I haven't even done anything to him._

Ryou stopped feeling sorry for himself and sighed as he started his shower. As he stepped in the warm water felt good on his bruised skin and he didn't ever want to leave it. Slowly and carefully the dried blood from some reopened wounds was cleaned off and his hair didn't look like such a rats nest anymore. When the water ran cold Ryou yelped and shut it off remembering they didn't get a whole lot of hot water to begin with. He realized as well that he had not left Bakura any. _'Uh oh I'm in a lot of trouble now…' He mumbled, forgetting to close his mind link._

"Why what did you do my little hikari?" Bakura said in a mock sweet voice as he appeared in the doorway. He stared at the naked boy in front of him as Ryou dried himself off.

"Nothing… I uh…uhm…" He studdered, covering himself up from Bakura's prying eyes.

"Whatever. Hurry up and get out!" Bakura barked, raising his fist.

"I'm sorry!"

Ryou threw on his pants so fast as he tried to dash out of the bathroom he wasn't even sure if he'd put them on right. Bakura cackled hysterically as Ryou ran out the door with his pants on backwards and shirt inside out scaring the boy into running just a little faster. He turned on the shower, and shed his clothes on the floor before stepping into the running water. He frowned as the water ran cold, even colder as he turned the hot water knob.

_Damn it brat! You left me no hot water not even a little!_

'_I'm sorry! I lost track of time I swear please I didn't mean to… don't be mad.' _

By the time Bakura finished his uncomfortable shower Ryou had already left the house to visit Yuugi. It was Saturday and he always tried to find an excuse to stay out all day leaving Bakura to entertain himself. Which in anyone's right mind was not a good idea, Bakura usually went to get drunk with Marik or caused havoc around the neighborhood and Ryou would have to hear the neighbors when he came home. But to him, if it kept him from being abused that day he didn't care what Bakura did while he was away. The neighbors would just have to deal he reasoned. He walked down the road towards the turtle game shop where Yuugi and Yami lived.

_Why isn't Yami abusive like Bakura? Pharaoh's usually are mean I thought? Although he's different from all the other Yami's anyway. He's not a psycho like Bakura and Marik. _The game shop came into Ryou's view and he could see through one of the windows. Yuugi was on a ladder then he fell, falling into his Yami's arms. _Why can't Bakura be like Yami? I want to be like them. _As he reached the game shop Yuugi and Yami had noticed him coming and greeted him at the door.

"Good morning Ryou-kun! What bring you here today," Yugi asked cheerfully already knowing the answer but he figured he'd be polite anyway.

"I j-just was around the neighborhood and I figured I'd come say hello. I-if you're busy I'm not going to stay."

"Nah not really. Stay! Stay!" Yuugi squeaked acting like a child as he hopped up and down. The hours went by, they ended up playing multiple games found around the game shop and dueling each other quite a few times. It was dark now and Ryou was growing nervous.

"Well today was fun. Yuugi, Yami thanks for letting me stay over, I had a great time."

"Our pleasure, want a friend to walk home with you? It's kind of lonely and dangerous to walk that far alone in the dark," Yuugi chirped.

"No, no it's alright I'll be just fine, besides I wouldn't want to have to make you two walk all the way back here again and I don't think Bakura's in a good mood today." Ryou smiled and waved good-bye as he walked out the door and headed north, the direction of home…the direction of torture and pain.

_Wonder what will happen tonight… Rammed into the wall a few times? Punched and kicked until I'm bleeding and unconscious? Maybe I'll be lucky and he'll kill me this time…quick and not so painful. Hah! That'd be the day…_

By the time Ryou had stopped talking to himself in his head he'd reached his house, almost passing it too. He sighed and walked as slowly as possible to delay the inevitable. He would be beaten, like every other night before this and it would never change. As long as he had the Millennium Ring he'd be stuck with the abusive Yami for a long time to come.

The house was dark when Ryou arrived. _Definitely not good… he's here I know it._ Bakura was nowhere in sight and all was quiet, Ryou was still on guard he knew better than to be relieved yet. _Maybe he really isn't home?_ Ryou went up to his room and tiredly fell onto his bed soon falling fast asleep after he deemed the house safe. Bakura came out of the shadows in the corner of Ryou's room and smirked coldly at his sleeping Hikari.

He took out one of his many daggers and crept towards Ryou. He towered over him for a brief moment before punching Ryou in the face with his other hand. Ryou awoke abruptly and looked up dazed at Bakura smiling menacingly above him.

"B-Bakura? N-no please don't I've been good today haven't I?"

"Shut up you worthless little brat. You're lucky you're my host or I would've killed you ten times over by now!"

Ryou's lips quivered as he scrambled off the bed and as far as possible from his attacker though it was pointless. It only delayed and probably worsened the pain to come. Bakura lifted his dagger above his head ready to strike when he heard the quiet voice in the back of his mind.

Bakura stopped dead in his tracks forgetting all about Ryou. The voice in the back of his head was far more insisting this time causing him to drop the large knife accidentally. He softened his eyes for a moment before remembering his Hikari could see him and his gaze returned to the cold, heartless one it always had been. He back handed Ryou and stormed furiously out of the room slamming the door behind him.

Ryou sighed in relief although he was incredibly confused now. He crawled back up to his bed and attempted to fall asleep again. He didn't have to worry, Bakura never beat him twice in a night and he doubted tonight would be any different. Bakura retreated to his soul room and sat in the cold, dark chambers trying to comprehend the scene. _This irritating feeling; what IS it!? Why is it getting in my way? I cannot even look at him anymore without that voice, that pathetic nagging voice trying to tug at my heartstrings. I swear I'll cease this stupidity, it won't get in my way again._

Alright, I've rewritten this chapter. It might take me a bit to get to chapter 3. I've GOT to finish Diary of a Rudie first. I promised. Reviews are great. I'm so happy about the reviews, alerts and favorites I'm getting for this. Thank you all so much.


	3. Chapter 3

Love Hurts

By Jet Set Yoyo

Disclaimer: I do NOT own yu-gi-oh If I did I wouldn't be writing fics on the internet.

("Talking", _Thinking_, 'flashbacks', _'Mind link's'_)

Alright guys! Diary of A Rudie is finished finally and as promised I'll be finishing this one up. Hope you'll all enjoy. Thanks for the support so far.

* * *

Ryou awoke the next morning to banging coming from the kitchen and he was immediately alert. Glancing at his clock, it was no later than eight in the morning. _What can Bakura _possibly_ be doing this time in the morning? Oh no! Is he trying to cook again!? _Alarmed Ryou scrambled out of bed and slipped on some clean clothes to wear before opening his bedroom door quietly and making his way to the bottom of the stairs where he could see into the kitchen fairly well.

There Bakura stood having a fight with the pile of pots and pans that sat in the sink. Ryou hadn't done them the night before; he'd forgotten all about them. There on the kitchen table was various breakfast foods still hot it seemed. Raising an eyebrow Ryou wondered if he should go back upstairs and pretend he saw nothing or attempt to enter the kitchen and help Bakura with the dishes. _He might get mad… but if I don't do something he's going to send all of our pots to the shadow realm if this keeps up._ He stood watching Bakura with a look of amusement plain on his face. _How hard is it to wash dishes?_

"Bakura…? Can I help?" he spoke up finally in a timid voice. Stepping into the kitchen he tried his best to look like he had no idea what was going on. Bakura turned his head quickly and had to hide his surprise.

"Do the dishes." He commanded, shifting his expression to one of boredom and indifference as he sat at the table and started to munch on a piece of bacon. Ryou did as he was told, taking an apron from the hook near the refrigerator and tying it loosely around him so his clothing wouldn't get wet. In a matter of minutes the dishes were sparkling clean and all set in the drainer to air dry.

"Anything else?" asked Ryou turning around. Bakura glared and shook his head, not actually willing to say anything to the younger boy. He pointed to the food on the table before continuing to munch on bacon. "Oh. Ok."

The food on the table smelled delicious, Ryou admitted to himself as he grabbed a plate and placed bacon, two pancakes, and some hash browns onto it. It didn't take him much time to devour the entire thing; he was starving since he barely had any food the day before. Bakura studied him closely narrowing his eyes at the carefree boy. _When will he learn?_ He thought. Ryou wasted no time in cleaning up the empty plate.

"Are you done with this? I'll put it in the fridge for later."

"Mm."

Ryou was confused; where was his Yami's spark today? Normally he was snappy and rude but today there was nothing. _I suppose that's better than him getting angry…but now I don't know what he's thinking. _The leftover food was placed in a Tupperware and then into the fridge. He never liked to waste anything, especially food because money was tight. When he finished he retreated to his room, scampering up the stairs without another glance towards his Yami.

Bakura growled in irritation, he was bored and a little pissed that Ryou didn't even bother to thank him for the food. _I can't blame him…_ he winced at the little voices' truthfulness, he hadn't been all that kind to the brat so what made him think Ryou would thank him for anything. _He should be thanking me for even letting him live. _He growled back. _Who the hell am I kidding, I wouldn't kill him. Then I wouldn't exist; he's the only one who can unleash my spirit from that blasted ring._ If anyone had been there watching they'd have been extremely disturbed that Bakura was making such weird expressions for no reason.

Snapping out of it he looked about the room, decided there was nothing for him to do downstairs and proceeded to climb the stairs to Ryou's room. He creaked the door open and noticed the boy at his desk scribbling down words. _Wonder what he's up to. _He was about to walk in the room but decided that he'd only make his Hikari tense and watching him then would be futile. Sighing quietly he closed the door and retreated to his own room, little did he know that Ryou had noticed him spying on him this time.

Bakura kicked the side of his bed, angry that no matter what he did he couldn't help being mean and abusive towards the younger boy. He gritted his teeth and sat down on his bed resting his face in his palms. _What the hell… I keep fucking up. _Noticing his clothes were those that he was wearing yesterday he got up and rummaged through his drawers for something clean. As he changed the door opened and Ryou came in stopping abruptly when he noticed Bakura was in nothing but socks and boxers. A light blush stained his face and he looked away flustered.

"I-I'm sorry. I should've knocked." Ryou stammered, his words getting quieter as the sentence wore on. When no answer came he looked up to find Bakura in front of him, still half-naked. What confused the boy so much was that there was no hint of anger on his Yami's face rather something he couldn't describe and a light blush as well.

Bakura opened his mouth to tell Ryou it was alright but no words came out. For the first time ever he found himself speechless. He approached the younger boy and without knowing why he lifted his calloused hand and placed it on Ryou's cheek. Ryou's eyes widened and he flinched at the touch, backed up and ran out of the room.

"Fuck…" Bakura growled, throwing on his shirt and slamming the door loudly locking it before he returned to dressing. "I'm so fucking stupid."

Ryou had run back into his own room, closed and locked the door, leaning against it and sliding to the floor. _What just happened?_ He wondered, shocked, afraid and confused all at the same time. His heart was beating a mile a minute and he didn't know why.

* * *

A little short, I know. I'm trying to get back into the groove with this one and figure out where I want it to go. I'm still open for suggestions and I'm probably going to make this a fluffy Shonen-Ai kind of fic because BakuraxRyou is just adorable. Reviews are nice, thanks again everyone.


	4. Chapter 4

Love Hurts

By Jet Set Yoyo

Disclaimer: I do NOT own yu-gi-oh If I did I wouldn't be writing fics on the internet.

("Talking", _Thinking_, 'flashbacks', _'Mind link's'_)

Thanks for the reviews guys. Here's the next chapter.

* * *

It had been a week since Ryou ran away from Bakura and to his surprise, the beatings stopped. Bakura even stopped leaving his room until Ryou left for school or to go to a friend's house. In the slight chance that they did cross paths, Bakura would pretend Ryou wasn't there and walk on.

_What did I do? This isn't like him at all… I'm worried. _The young boy thought to himself, frowning as he looked at Bakura's closed door. Curiosity finally getting the better of him he marched over and knocked lightly on the door.

"Bakura? Bakura, can you come out please?" he asked quietly. Not even a shuffled could be heard coming from the other side. Sighing Ryou left the house. _Maybe I'll go see Yugi today…no I don't want company._

Walking down the road he looked around absentmindedly at the run-down apartments he passed. Money was tight for him and Bakura so they'd lived in one of the worst parts of town, which so happened to have the cheapest housing. He ignored the otherwise suspicious looking people that most people would hurry inside upon the sight of and continued on to his favorite spot to get away; a river, but the area it occupied had long been cut off from the rest of the world by buildings and overgrowing vines. Sighing he sat down on the river's edge and stared into the water looking at his reflection.

_Why won't he come out? All I did was… I didn't _do _anything, what's his problem! _He growled to himself his mood changing from one of self-pity to anger. Flinging a nearby pebble into the rushing waters he felt temporarily satisfied when it drowned in the moving water. _I want him to be just like the Pharaoh, kind and gentle but always willing to protect. Bakura does nothing of the sort, he'd sooner see me dead than to be like the Pharaoh he hates so much. It's not fair! Why don't I ever get anything, everything and everyone always gets taken from me._ He brought his knees up to his chest and hugged them tightly, burying his face in between them. Letting out a sob he was no longer aware of his surroundings or the two men that approached him from behind.

By the time Ryou did notice the men it was too late. One of them, a burly man with tanned skin and no shirt grabbed his arms from behind restraining him; not that scrawny little Ryou could do much against them anyway. The second man placed a cloth over his mouth and he breathed in sharply, noticing too late that he shouldn't have done that. His vision faded and he felt his body go limp before he was whisked off to dream land against his will.

Waking abruptly he looked at his surroundings which resembled nothing more than a warehouse. Boxes upon boxes were stacked in large piles on every side of him. _Am I boxed in here like this? _It seemed strange to him that he was kidnapped and yet his kidnappers didn't even tie him up. Moving towards the boxes he grabbed onto one and tried to pull himself up, thinking he could use the edges to climb. There were more piles behind the pile he was climbing. The tower of boxes began to sway under the weight and he let go immediately. _The boxes can't hold my weight; they'll surely crush me if I try to climb them. I guess I'm stuck here; no one will save me._ That didn't stop him from calling out though.

"Hello? Is anyone out there?" he yelled at the top of his lungs, "Can anyone hear me? Please, I'm stuck in here. Help!"

Hours of screaming his lungs out proved futile as no one came to his rescue, neither did his kidnappers come to shut him up. _Am I going to die here? Or will they come back and kill me? _Falling to his knees he being to cry uncontrollably. _I should just die; Bakura thinks I'm useless and worthless anyway. I'm so tired of being bullied, beaten and ignored. _There wasn't much he could do either way, he was stuck in there with no windows and pushing the boxes over was his only option for escape. _Somebody just kill me. Get it over with, I don't want to starve to death here._ Flashbacks of Bakura plagued his mind.

"_Worthless brat, you don't deserve anything." Bakura snapped kicking the young teen in the stomach as he lay in a heap on the floor._

"_Who the fuck do you think you are!?" Bakura screamed, snatching the food from Ryou's hands and throwing it to the floor, "You eat when I tell you to."_

Ryou closed his eyes and sighed as the flashbacks faded away. _Bakura's right, I don't deserve anything. He was right the whole time, I've been really bad._ Letting his body fall onto its side, he curled into a ball and squeezed his eyes shut; trying to shut out the world. Ignoring the sound of footsteps, he laid there quietly accepting his inevitable death to come.

The burly man returned and Ryou blinked away the remaining tears, looking at his captor between the boxes. _What does he want from me? I don't have anything worth much._ The man sneered and shoved half of a sandwich in his mouth.

"Is the little brat hungry? Too bad!" he laughed chewing his food making sure Ryou could see him.

"_Worthless brat." _Bakura's words echoed through his mind. _I know, I know already!_

"You want to know why we've kidnapped you, huh brat!?" the other man, the one who put the cloth over his mouth spoke out, coming closer to the enclosure of boxes, "We want Bakura. That thieving sneak took what was rightfully ours. So now we've got his precious little brother in exchange. When he comes running to find you, we'll let him have it. How does that sound, brat?"

_If only you knew. We're not brothers, not even close. And besides, he doesn't care about me._

"You're wasting your time, he won't come for me." Ryou croaked, his voice still hoarse from screaming.

"What did you say to me!? Shut the fuck up!"

That was all it took to piss off the two men who after stormed out of wherever they were slamming the door behind them. _I won't let you hurt Bakura anyway._ Ryou sighed laying on the cold floor shivering now. The sun began to set outside and the temperature began to drop. The lights weren't on and he laid there shivering in the dark for what seemed like forever. He couldn't keep track of the time any longer and was completely oblivious to the time of day.

Meanwhile as night had fallen Bakura had noticed Ryou never came back. Even if he'd holed himself up in his room he could still hear the boy come home and he normally would try to coax him out of the room at least once a day. Unlocking his door he opened it a crack and peeked out. The lights were all off and Ryou's door was open, meaning he was still out. He'd always leave his door open when he left. Searching the entire house he finally came to the conclusion Ryou was in fact not there. He looked up at the clock; nearly 2 in the morning. _Why isn't he back yet!? _Bakura furrowed his brow and stormed out the door.

After hours of searching he realized that Ryou wasn't at school, that damned Pharaoh's house, or any of his other little friends' houses. There wasn't a single place he could think his light would go that he hadn't already checked. As the clock neared 3AM, Bakura finally realized something was definitely wrong. He wouldn't run around like a chicken with its head cut off searching for the hikari, that would ruin his reputation. But something here was gravely wrong and Ryou could be in danger. Off towards the worst part of town he hurried, not ran, in search of a clue.

* * *

Hehe, cliffhangers for the win! Let's see what happens to poor Ryou next, maybe I'll torture him a little longer. And what's up with Bakura? Does he care more about his reputation than the fate of his Hikari, or is he just trying to act cool? Review please, it makes me feel like I'm writing for something. Maybe I'll go a little easier on Ryou too...


	5. Chapter 5

Love Hurts

By Jet Set Yoyo

Disclaimer: I do NOT own yu-gi-oh If I did I wouldn't be writing fics on the internet.

("Talking", _Thinking_, 'flashbacks', _'Mind link's'_)

Can't believe I'm still getting fav's and alerts for this thing. Thanks so much everyone, it means a lot.

* * *

Bakura wandered through the slums at a quick pace. It surprised him that not a thief, gambler or general do-no-gooder he had associated with, or wronged, was in sight. Usually this time was gold to them. It was definitely not a good sign. Picking up the pace, putting him now at a slight jog he was officially afraid for the boy's life.

_It's not because I care about him or anything. If he dies, I'm gone. That's all. _He told himself upon realizing his fear for the youth.

Ryou had curled himself into a ball on the floor of the warehouse, making a small amount of warmth for himself. Shifting a little, he winced as he left his area of warmth on the floor and promptly returned to it. He groaned, despite the warmth he was growing achy from laying the same way for such a long time; he was dying to stretch himself out though he refrained valuing the warmth more than comfort. _I wish they had killed me. I'm so cold, so uncomfortable and now I'm starting to get hungry._ _I want to sleep but I'm too scared, too cold._

Bakura was starting to get irritated as well as frantic when he still couldn't find anyone he'd recently pissed off; usually they were everywhere. Growling he stopped to catch his breath as he was now running desperately around the area. He heard voices and stood still for a moment, listening in on the conversation.

"That guy will come soon, we've got his brother." A deep voice said, sounding completely sure of himself.

"I don't know, if someone wanted the kid sure they'd be here by now. Shouldn't we have left a ransom note or something; so he could find us?" a squeakier and more annoying voice chimed in.

"N-no! He'll come, don't worry about it." The deeper voice was quick to cut it. Bakura now had come around the corner and saw it was a burly man; one he'd stole 100 dollars from just the night before. The other voice must've belonged to the scrawny man beside him; the same one he beat in poker three days earlier, but only because he cheated.

"I assume you morons are looking for me?" Bakura spoke up, crossing his arms as he approached the duo with a demonic glare gracing his features. The men nearly jumped out of their skin and hurried to turn towards the spirit. He gritted his teeth, showing his sharp incisors, "You have Ryou. Return him. Now."

"You'll have the brat back, just come with us." The burly man spoke up, turning around and walking towards the docks. Bakura growled and followed them, knowing they had some sort of plan to either harm him or get as much money as possible off of him. He knew these kinds of people, after all he was one of them. Eat or be eaten, kill or be killed kind of people. They'd sooner stab a friend in the back for twenty bucks than be seen showing an ounce of kindness towards someone.

They led him further on until they stopped in front of a warehouse. Replacing his glare with a look crossing between boredom and irritation he waited for someone to speak. When no one did, just motioning for him to enter it was confirmed. Ryou was not in there. Deciding to play along he turned the knob to the warehouse and pushed it open. Before he could take a step inside the bigger man swung at him, just as he expected, but Bakura was too quick; having turned around and stabbed the man in the stomach.

"W-when did you…Ugh!" He stuttered, coughing up blood from the puncture in his stomach. He was unable to continue speaking and fell to the ground clutching himself. The smaller man was afraid to say the least and backed away slowly before taking off in a run. Bakura would have none of it, dashing after the man at a quicker speed than the man could manage.

"You'll pay for screwing with me you little shit. I am superior." Deciding against just simply killing the man, he felt a little mischievous. It had been a good six hours since he last banished someone to the shadow realm. "Perhaps you'll like this much better."

The man had barely the time to scream as he was whisked off into the shadow realm to be tortured for all eternity. It only took him half a second to realize he never did figure out where they were keeping Ryou before he killed them. Shrugging it off he began to search the warehouses one-by-one. Ryou couldn't be far from here, they'd still need to keep an eye on him so they shouldn't have traveled far from his location. After the fourth warehouse he was contemplating banishing them all to the shadow realm but thought better of it immediately. _Stupid boy, getting yourself kidnapped._

Ryou jumped, waking himself from his light slumber as he heard a scream outside not far from him. _W-what was that?_ He shivered, now being reminded of the cold he'd tried so hard to avoid. _It can't be Bakura…he wouldn't._ A slam made him jump again and a whimper escaped his lips. Shifting could be heard, like the sounds of the boxes being moved. _Impossible, I couldn't move those boxes there were stacked to the ceiling._ He was now in a sitting position, looking frantically around him for the source of the disturbance. A shadow shrank towards him and grabbed hold of him tightly. Feeling the unfamiliarness of the person's grasp Ryou tensed but the intruder did not cease. His mouth was quickly covered and he was dragged along while desperately trying to wiggle and kick his way out of the unknown person's clutches.

A creak, then he could see the night sky. _Where am I? Oh…the docks. Where is he taking me?_ Ryou wondered, thousands more thought racing through his mind. _Bakura…He won't help me._ His kicking seemed to do little good other than exhaust him further so he quit, accepting the fact that he wouldn't get out and would likely be murdered by this unknown captor. He couldn't he squirm to see who had him and the person never said a word. Closing his eyes he waited for it all to be over.

* * *

Aha... Couldn't help but leave a cliffhanger. Shits and giggles, you know? Anyhow, please review even if you hated it. It helps me write better and encourages me to write more for you enjoyment as well as my own. It might help Ryou's chances at life as well... -devious grin- Flames are much appreciated as well.


	6. Chapter 6

Love Hurts

By Jet Set Yoyo

Disclaimer: I do NOT own yu-gi-oh If I did I wouldn't be writing fics on the internet.

("Talking", _Thinking_, 'flashbacks', _'Mind link's'_)

You guys amaze me. Thanks for the continuous reviews, alerts and favs!

* * *

Upon opening his eyes, Ryou was positive he wouldn't like what he saw. Still he felt the necessity to check what was going on around him and so he peeled his eyes open slowly. Sure enough, he was being held captive by another man probably in cahoots with the other two. This time he was outside, by the docks to be exact and the man seemed frantic. _I wonder why he's so upset? It doesn't matter I guess..._

A blood curdling scream made him and his captor jump in surprise; both looking about for the source of the agony. This guy wasn't as rough as the others, but he was probably preoccupied with whatever was after them; what else would explain him hurrying before? Ryou hadn't moved, not even squirmed since he'd been dragged from the warehouse but when Bakura came into view from around a corner he felt a sudden spark light up in him.

"B-Bakura!" he yelped, sustaining a backhand to the head. The man hoisted him over his shoulder and took off, determined not to let Bakura catch them. Ryou kicked and hit him as best he could, trying to break loose and even went so far as to bite him in the shoulder but the muscular man just wouldn't break his hold on him. He cried out again, "Bakura! Help!"

_He's coming for me… He's really coming for me! _He was crying now, both in fear and joy. His usual mindset squeezed its way into his thoughts again. _Wait…he's probably mad I didn't come home on time. He probably just wants me to be his maid, cook and slave again. I don't want any of this!_ He let his fist come down one more time on his kidnappers back before slouching in defeat, letting his tears run.

Bakura was closing in fast on the bastard that had his Ryou. No one took his Ryou from him. He was his and his only. _I'll be selfish all I want. Stupid fuckers can get their own._ He growled to himself, growing angrier that he wasn't getting any closer anymore. _I'll send the bastard to the shadow realm, I'll do it. He's fucking dead. DEAD. _To his avail the man seemed tired out, having to run with a good hundred and forty more pounds on his shoulders and stopped to catch his breath. Bakura rounded on him, delivering a swift kick to the back of the head as he made sure not to hit Ryou in the process. The poor brat looked like a dead chicken hanging from a hook. Had he given up already? It didn't matter, the man was down and sent quickly to the shadow realm just as he promised himself in his mind. Ryou sat on the ground with his legs crossed, staring at his feet.

"Well? Are you coming home or did I come get you for nothing?" Bakura snapped, though he had tried to calm himself before speaking to the teen.

"W-why bother?" Ryou whispered, talking more to his feet than Bakura.

"What was that?"

"I said I'm coming."

"Good."

The walk home was a silent one as they made their way out of the slums and towards their apartment. Ryou trudged behind Bakura, dragging his feet and thinking up a million ways to end everything. Bakura on the other hand was trying to think of something to say, without stepping on the albino teens' feelings.

"I'm sorry." Ryou spoke up, his voice soft and unsure of himself.

"For?" The gruff reply came quickly.

"For getting kidnapped and making you come get me."

"Idiot." Ryou was unsure of what to make of the answer and promptly shut his mouth, continuing to drag his feet. After several moments of silence Bakura continued his thought, "I came because I wanted to."

Ryou had just dried up the remainder of his tears when he felt the hot prickle of them returning. He sniffled and rubbed his eyes, desperately trying not to let Bakura see him cry over something as stupid as that. It was no use, the tears were flowing like a waterfall now and his nose was runny. Bakura sighed, attempting to ignore the waterworks but when they didn't stop he furrowed his eyebrows and whirled around.

"It's not that big of a deal, ok?" He grunted, embarrassed that Ryou was making such a fuss about the whole situation while trying to hide it.

"B-but I-I I didn't think you'd come for me…I thought you'd just…"

"Shut up." Bakura snapped, his voice taking a dangerous tone.

"H-huh?"

"No one touches you. No one." Ryou nodded, as if he felt like the statement needed an answer of some sort. Bakura clasped his hand around Ryou's wrist and pulled him forward so he was now walking beside him. They walked home without another word to be said.

* * *

You know, I'm debating whether or not to end it here like I originally had it. I pulled out the part where he had tried to kill himself earlier in the story, so maybe I'll keep this thing going just a little longer? What do you all think? Either way, review please? It keeps me going and give me motivation.


	7. Chapter 7

Love Hurts

By Jet Set Yoyo

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Yu-Gi-Oh; if I did I wouldn't be writing fics on the internet.

("Talking", _Thinking_, 'flashbacks', _'Mind link's'_)

Wow, I'm still getting reviews for this piece of junk. I really never thought it was that great since it was originally written in 8th grade and I'm now in college. Anywho, I suppose since I'm still actively getting support I should humor you all and finish the damn thing already. Enjoy and thanks so much for all the positive words of encouragement.

* * *

It had been barely a week since Ryou's rescue and yet things didn't seem to have changed. Bakura was still a temperamental grouch and Ryou was still depressed and insecure. The morning was a sunny one, Ryou was standing over the stove cooking up some eggs and bacon for himself and Bakura. Bakura on the other hand was lounging on the couch flipping through the television channels. To this day the strange object still fascinated him; not that he'd ever let anyone know about it.

"When are you gonna finish the damn food, I'm dying of starvation in here." Came an irritated call from the living room. Ryou sighed as he transferred the just done bacon and eggs from the pan to the plates.

"It's done Bakura…" he called timidly back. After a brief moment of silence there was a short growl.

"Are you going to bring it to me or what?"

"Yeah, I'm coming. I'm sorry." Ryou grabbed up the plate and hurried into the living room, delivering the plate onto the coffee table in front of the white haired demon. "I've got to go to a friends' house for a group project. It's due Monday so I want to get it done soon. I-is that ok?"

Bakura who had been stuffing his face full of scrambled eggs stopped for a moment and looked up at Ryou, the fork handle sticking out of his lips. The younger teen was practically squirming in discomfort under Bakura's gaze, despite how funny he looked with the fork sticking out of his mouth. Finally he diverted his gaze from Bakura's, unable to keep eye contact with him.

"It doesn't matter. Go ahead." Bakura shrugged, continuing to stuff the fluffy eggs into his mouth. Relieved Ryou hurried to finish his breakfast, went upstairs to grab his backpack and made his way towards Yugi's house. It was a good thing Bakura never bothered to ask who his group mates were or there would've been a huge problem.

The truth of the matter was, Ryou didn't have a project due for school that was just a lie to get out of the house for a good portion of the day. There was only so much he could avoid Bakura without repercussions. At least this way he could stay out all day and Bakura wouldn't care as much; he never really understood why Bakura was so obsessed with making sure he went to school and did his work. No matter, it gave him the excuses it did to get him out of the house more often.

Before long Ryou found himself walking down a busy road, cars littering the street because it was the weekend. His mind wandered as it usually did; dreaming of his life being better than what it was. Ryou was never a selfish person, he took what he was given without complaint but this time – just this one time he wasn't content with taking what he was dealt. He knew he deserved better but something kept him attached to Bakura, maybe it was fear, maybe it was affection; he couldn't quite pinpoint it but nonetheless it made him stay and endure.

He found himself at Yugi's doorstep. The shorter dueler's childish voice could be heard through the front door; he sounded as if he was enjoying himself. _That's just like Yugi, he's always happy. Just once I wish that would happen. _Ryou hated to interrupt that happiness but it was a bit chilly out so he let his fist fall lightly against the door almost hoping that Yugi wouldn't hear it and he could leave that happiness intact. Yugi, in fact, did hear Ryou's soft knock and bounded to the door opening it widely.

"Ryou! I'm so glad you're here, for a little while I thought you weren't going to show up." He chirped with that wide smile Ryou always liked. It was a genuine smile, unlike his own. He gave a small, shy smile just like he always did.

"I wouldn't ditch you Yugi, I promised I'd come visit you. Besides, I should get out of the house some time, you know?" he chuckled a bit.

"Of course, I didn't doubt you. Come on, come in its chilly out there." Yugi stepped aside and motioned for Ryou to enter. By then Yami had come over and seeing Ryou there he offered a smile to the shy teen as the white-haired teen stepped timidly inside the Turtle Game Shop. Yugi bounced around the room like an overexcited puppy. It was true Ryou hardly left the house, but he was over Yugi's at least once a week. "What do you want to do Ryou?"

"Anything is fine, I just like your company." To this Yugi frowned, not entirely happy with Ryou's response. Ryou took a step back, surprised by this and stuttered, "W-what?"

"You never have any opinion Ryou, you never seem happy either. You should do what you want for once, you'll be so much happier." Ryou nodded, giving his usual smile. "C'mon Ryou, let's go out today. It's really nice out."

Of course Ryou would never object to any of Yugi's decisions despite what the teen had just said to him. _Do what I want, huh? I might just do that, just this once: Do what I want…_ The trio had set out down the road, only the shorter teen had any idea as to where they were going. Yami seemed uninterested, merely looking around at the surrounding area and enjoying his light's company. Ryou was lost in his own thoughts, so lost he hardly noticed Yugi staring at him until the shorter boy waved his hand in front of his face. Blinking several times, he looked around then down at the colorful-haired teen.

"You were in your own world." Ryou looked sheepish at that statement, "How do you feel about the amusement park? We could all use some fun today."

"That sounds wonderful."

"Yay!" Yugi shouted, running towards the amusement park. Why he'd bothered to ask since they were practically there already was beyond the Pharaoh or the albino teen but they shrugged it off casually and followed after the energetic teen.

Entering the amusement park, Yugi paid for their admission much to Ryou's displeasure. Yugi, however, had insisted since he was taking him out for the day and paid for his friend despite his protests. Rollercoaster's, a Ferris wheel and several smaller rides covered the huge area making Yugi's eyes light up and made a smile come to Ryou's lips.

The trio headed for a tea cup ride and waited in line. Ryou soon relaxed, ready to enjoy a day out without Bakura on his heels. He could have fun without making sure Bakura wasn't getting angry. He could do what he wanted without having to be pulled around like a dog on a leash. The thoughts made him grin happily. What the young teen didn't know, however, was that Bakura had followed him and was lurking around the corner watching him.

Bakura growled under his breath as he watched Ryou smile and laugh with Yugi and that blasted Pharaoh. He slammed his fist into the pillar he was hiding behind, sending a nearby mother and her child scrambling away in fear muttering something under their breath's like 'psycho.'

_I'll teach him to lie to me. Homework my ass._ He seethed. Then he got an idea. Out of curiosity he opened the mind link. _'How is your project coming, my little Ryou.'_

He watched Ryou's face turn from cheerful to blank in a matter of seconds and he chuckled. Ryou started looking afraid before he sent a message back to him.

'_I-it's going great. It's taking a while but I think we'll get a good grade on it.'_ The brat was lying to him and it made him even angrier.

'_Now Ryou, don't lie to me. I know you're not doing a project, why pretend that I'm as stupid as you?'_

He watched as Ryou further stiffened, worrying his companions as they all huddled around him. _This is just too entertaining._ Deciding enough was enough he left his spot behind the pillar and marched right up to the group and Ryou's eyes widened. Yami noticed the Thief King and stepped in front of the now trembling white-haired teen.

"Bakura, what's this all about?" he asked in a warning tone, holding his hand out in front of him.

"None of your business _Pharaoh,_" Bakura spat back. "Give me my Ryou. We're going home. Now."

"Ryou is not a-" Yami began but was cut off midsentence.

"It's ok Yami. Thanks for taking me out Yugi, it was fun. I should go home now." Ryou muttered, looking at his feet to avoid the disappointed gazes of his friends and Bakura's angry one. No matter what he did he couldn't please anyone, he was such a failure of a person.

Yugi was about to stop the albino teen when Yami shook his head and Yugi's eyes fell. Ryou waved in a somewhat happy manner and offered a small smile before following Bakura out of the amusement park. Grabbing hold of Ryou wrist tightly, Bakura marched on angrily and Ryou winced at the pressure.

"Bakura I-"

"Can it. Lying to me, you worthless brat. After all I do for you and you _lie_ to me! Who ever said you were allowed to be around that infernal Pharaoh and his brat? Huh, who? Tell me."

"I-I…"

"Shut up. I've had it with your childish stuttering." Bakura yanked Ryou forward, still seething as they approached their apartment and pushed the younger male inside violently. "Get out of my sight before I hurt you."

The tears had begun to fall, Ryou couldn't hold them back any longer. He scrambled from the entryway and up to his room. Falling against the door as he closed it behind him, he let his tears flow freely and sobbed quietly. _It's not fair. It's NOT FAIR!_

Bakura paced in the living room, still angry from earlier before going upstairs and into his own room. Slamming the door he took up the nearest object and threw it across the room. _Why? Why won't he ever do any of that crap with me? Now he's upset again._

Minutes later he huffed, though his anger has calmed down considerably, and went downstairs to watch television. As he passed Ryou's room he could hear the teens' soft sobbing and a heavy feeling set in his chest, unlike anything he'd ever felt before. Whatever the feeling was, he didn't like it at all. Pushing the boy's door open he found the emotional teen curled up in a ball with his face in his hands on the floor. It was a pathetic sight but it still made that heavy feeling in his chest hurt. Ryou didn't seem to notice, or maybe just didn't care that Bakura was in the room staring at him. Neither of them moved; Ryou still sobbing and hiccupping, and Bakura staring at him unsure what to do for once.

It took a little mental coaxing, but Bakura convinced himself the brat couldn't stay sobbing like a baby on the floor. He'd seen situations like this on television. What did most people do? He frowned as he remembered and knelt down on the floor beside the boy, gathering him up in his arms and holding him close.

"Don't cry." He muttered in a stiff voice; he wasn't good at this emotional stuff. Ryou hiccupped in his arms, and curled his fingers into Bakura's shirt. Bakura tightened his grip and leaned his head down to rest on top of Ryou's. If this was what he was supposed to be doing in this sort of situation, it felt pretty good. He wouldn't admit it aloud but he enjoyed being close to Ryou, especially if Ryou was in direct contact with him. It felt much better than the contact he felt when he beat him.

Ryou calmed himself down, halting the tears and sobbing. Only an occasional hiccup remained as he sat in Bakura's lap with his head against the other. It felt good to be hugged, even if it was Bakura who'd upset him in the first place. He was too tired from crying to care why Bakura was being so kind again; he just snuggled closer to the older teen and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Poor Ryou, he's so confused. I abuse him too much. Bakura's even more confused, unable to convey his feelings correctly. Tsk, tsk. He better figure it out soon or else he's going to regret it. Thanks for reading!


End file.
